Our culture has a fascination with zombies. By my quick calculation, I believe there to be approximately two trillion shows on about the walking dead in the last few years. I read that the first zombie to ever appear on the silver screen was in W.B. Seabrook’s The Magical Island all the way back in 1929 (not a very scary looking creature then). But in 1933 the movie White Zombie came out starring Bela Lugosi (a little creepier). Ever since we have been mesmerized by flesh-eating zombies.

Years ago, I was teaching about Jesus being resurrected from the dead in our church’s children’s ministry. I’ll never forget the shocked looking kid who screamed out in horror…“Wait…JESUS WAS A ZOMBIE?” I wasn’t sure how to answer that…but we worked through it eventually.

Even though zombies are a recent phenomena in our current society, the truth is zombies were in existence from long ago. In fact, the Bible warns us about zombies…not in the physical sense though…but in the spiritual sense.

You see, lots of Christians are trying to resurrect their old life. They’re walking around with old ways of thinking, acting, talking, and behaving. Even though they have been changed, as a follower of Christ, they are trapped in the past.

Galatians 2:20-21 (NIV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

When we give our lives to Christ, we are dead in Him. Our old self has been done away with spiritually. The struggle is that our physical sin-nature keeps trying to come back from the grave. We all struggle with old sins trying to rear their nasty temptations again and again. We have to learn how to put to death our old self and keep it dead. Those old ways of living will limit our future potential. Guilt, condemnation, and rejection will come after you every day you wake up, therefore we must fight to keep ourselves dead.

Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV)

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now HIDDEN with Christ in God

Even though we struggle, we must understand that Christ is still our Savior. Jesus put our old self to death as we came alive in Him. He dealt with it on the cross. Though you may feel like the walking dead, you must accept that you are hidden with Christ in God. What an amazing concept that we are literally hidden in Christ. This means our old life is not to be seen in the eyes of God (even though we still struggle with it from time to time) because we are made new through Jesus. We have to learn how to set our hearts and focus not on the earthly things, but on the eternal things.

2 Corinthians 5:13-21 (NKJV)

13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

So my challenge to us is to live like we are dead and enter the fullness of God’s grace and forgiveness. It’s a struggle every day to keep our old ways of living behind us, but we have to leave that sin nature in the grave. Don’t allow the enemy to beat you up when you struggle and fall, but fall into God’s love and grace, as you get back up in and keep on moving forward. 

Romans 8:1-16 (NIV)

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.